Tranquility
by Italian Skunk
Summary: Antonio loves every single day. He loves the millions of colors that the sky fades into, the fireflies, the snow, the rain, the early mornings, the late nights. All of it. Of course, he loves Lovino too.
1. fireflies

"I'm cold," Lovino says in a drowsy little voice. In response, Antonio tugs the plaid blanket around them, bundling Lovino up with the blanket and holding Lovino closer, tighter. It may have been a hot summer day, but now that the sun is setting, everything is cooling off.

Out of the corner of his eye, Antonio can see the small, content smile that captures Lovino's lips and he grins to himself.

While Lovino has the side of his face pressed against Antonio's chest and his eyes are closed, Antonio's head is tilted back and his eyes appreciate the saturated spill of color that takes over the sky and the feathery clouds. A couple of stars twinkle to the right in the sky while the fragments of sun that he can see slips behind the horizon to the left.

"Oh, Lovi, look at the sky…" Antonio breaths in fascination, glancing down at Lovino. Lovino, after a moment, tilts his head away and blinks open his eyes at the sunlit stains of the sky.

Lovino's reply is a mumble and it's faint and incoherent. Antonio smiles again.

Lovino moves again, to sit up against Antonio on the hammock. Antonio had been sitting up more than Lovino had been curled up since the moment they had sat down on their hammock, and now Lovino wants to hear Antonio's heartbeat in his ear more loudly than the heavy purr of cars driving down the street or birds chirping. Antonio pulls Lovino closer, close enough that Lovino's head rests down against his shoulder. Lovino pouts.

* * *

They move away from the hammock to fix snacks in the kitchen a bit later. The island counter is covered in small packages of freshly cut meats and cheeses and greens and there is the loud _chop- chop- chopping_ of Lovino slicing tomatoes. He still has a dressing to do. Antonio insists on making it, but he's busy with the lemonade, stirring the soft yellow beverage in a glass pitcher with a wooden spoon until it reaches his level of perfection.

They bring out the crisp sandwiches - Lovino cut them once diagonally - and glasses of sweet lemonade - Antonio insisted on red-and-white striped straws. They went about snatching the blanket from the hammock on their way out, settling down in the middle of the yard. Antonio disappears inside again and is gone for a handful of minutes before appearing once more with a small bowl of diced, sugared strawberries. It's a bowl Lovino made when trying out pottery a few winters ago, and is glazed in an archaic teal and gold. Lovino doesn't quite like the bowl, but it is something Antonio cherishes.

They eat their sandwiches and drink their lemonade, the sandwiches an almost messy and the lemonade almost chilling. The strawberries are dessert.

Lovino lays back on the blanket, one arm behind his head. Occasionally his hand will search for the bowl of strawberries and Antonio will guide his hand to the fruit. His fingertips by then are tinted candied pink from the juice.

Lovino dozes again, at some point. The sun disappears and abandons them in a cricket-chirping, car-purring evening. It's comfortable and calming. Antonio picks and creates a small pile of little flowers from around their yard. Lovino doesn't see Antonio weave and braid the stems from where the other sits cross-legged on the blanket beside him, using the light they still have.

"... Lovi?" He opens his eyes at Antonio speaking and looks over in sluggish curiosity. "Lovi, will you catch fireflies with me?"

"Fireflies?" Lovino repeats in a whisper.

"Yeah, will you?" Antonio murmurs.

Lovino pushes himself upright. After a second of waiting, he can see the flickering glow of the mentioned insects surrounding them. "I guess, you dork." he agrees. Antonio's had him in a bit of an affectionate mood all day. It _is_ rather relaxing.

Antonio's face lights up like a child seeing all of the presents under the Christmas tree, his eyes a twinkling viridian. "Thank you, Lovi!" Antonio replies, slipping the flower crown on top of Lovino's head in delight. Lovino makes a tiny noise of surprise.

* * *

They stand up and they catch fireflies. It's that simple.

They catch fireflies until Antonio has the bright idea to tackle Lovino, sweeping him up in his arms and they fall to the ground, their laughter bubbly and content. It leaves Lovino tingly and perhaps a bit breathless. It leaves Antonio enchanted and in a happy silence.

* * *

At some point Antonio peppers Lovino's face in kisses, laughing again at the growing blush. They lay on the blanket in moonlight and fireflies and crickets.

* * *

The moon continues to cross the dark inkspill of sky, continues to cross the cluster of twirling stars.

Lovino has fallen asleep again, nestled against Antonio, who cradles him close to himself. They stay like that for a while, until Antonio chose to move away and gather Lovino up in his arms. It is time to head up to bed for the night. Lovino's exhausted and Antonio can understand why.

Antonio walks through their dark, moonlit house slowly, either to not bump into anything or not wake up Lovino. Maybe it's both. It's most likely not to wake up Lovino, though. He loves Lovino so much.

Antonio nudges open the bedroom door, carrying Lovino to bed. He clumsily pulls away the bed sheet, gently placing Lovino on the bed. He gets a spare, thick blanket from the hallway closet and drapes it over Lovino. It's gotten colder.

Antonio moves away again, there's still the other blanket and the dishes to bring in and wash. Something stops him, though, and he looks down to see Lovino's hand peeking out from under the blanket to latch onto his shirt.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lovino mumbles, eyes still closed and lips pressed in a small pout. Antonio never realizes that Lovino had been rather awake the whole time, drowsy, but awake, and none too eager to pass up Antonio carrying him to bed.

Antonio decides that right then, the blanket and dishes can wait out in their yard for the night, in the cool summer darkness. Instead, he gets under the blankets with Lovino.

* * *

 **A/N - This was a short story I wanted to throw together at some point after talking to The Forgotten Traveller a while back! I will most likely change the title and summary since it is very late at the moment and ideas are low... Hope you enjoy!**

 **EDIT - Title and summary are changed! ^^**


	2. hot chocolate

**A/N - Hi guys! I decided a while back that Tranquility would be a story where I would upload calming little drabbles in-between stories or when I need a break from those stories. Hope you enjoy! :D**

* * *

It was an unspoken agreement when Antonio opened his eyes and saw Lovino lingering drowsily by the balcony of their bedroom, his form just a looming shadow in the dark blue light. Antonio simply pushed the blankets away, stood, and wandered to Lovino's side.

"I think it's a bit too chilly to sit out - isn't that strange? It's summer…" Lovino whispered roughly, still half-asleep. Antonio looked down at the balcony floor through the glass doors, and saw footsteps imprinted on the floor boards, amongst the potted plants they kept, where an earlier drizzle had left drying puddles.

"It'll probably rain again today, maybe later in the morning." Antonio murmured.

Lovino hummed, and took Antonio's hand when it brushed his fingertips - the only thing showing beneath his long sweater sleeves.

"Do you want to go sit in the kitchen instead?" Antonio asked.

"It'll be cold there too." Lovino answered delicately, tired lips pressing into a faint pout. He glanced over at Antonio with dusty gold eyes.

Antonio laughed and squeezed Lovino's hand. "You'll be with me, won't you?"

Lovino's pout tilted up into a small smile, a small smile that Antonio leaned in to kiss. Antonio gently tugged Lovino closer so they could share a few more feather-light kisses in the dreary morning glow. Lovino smiled warmly against his lips, burning gaze peeking up at Antonio. The sleepy kisses and bright eyes reminded Antonio oddly of coffee.

"Wanna go?"

"Sure," Lovino murmured, hands falling from where they were fixed in Antonio's t-shirt.

Antonio's smile was a bit crooked as he took Lovino's hand in his again and tugged him along gently. Lovino faltered when they went by the bed.

"Will we be coming back up later? We always go back to bed afterwards, but… we haven't gone to the kitchen in a long while. Are we making the bed?"

Antonio paused and stared at the twisted white sheets and the lumpy pillows. The black pillowcase on Lovino's was slipping off, and most of one blanket graced the floor.

Antonio stepped closer to Lovino , wrapping his arms around him and sweeping him off. He pressed a couple of kisses against Lovino's neck, the two of them laughing all the while as Antonio carried Lovino out of the room.

Antonio set Lovino down and went about adjusting the lopsided sweater. He pecked Lovino's cheek when fixing the collar. "Later," he said, and pecked Lovino's lips too. "We'll make the bed later."

* * *

The kitchen was dark and cool and lit with only the morning light coming in from the kitchen window and back door when Antonio and Lovino stumbled their way in.

Lovino slid the light switch, watching the light from the overhead light come to life in a waterfall of dusty gold. Antonio went to the cupboards and pulled out two mugs after opening the back door, revealing a flimsy screen one. He set them on the counter and Lovino lingered by his side.

"Coffee or hot chocolate?"

Lovino thought for a moment, lips pursing as his eyes studied the mugs. He glanced up at Antonio, warmly. "Hot chocolate." he murmured.

There was something sleepy about hot chocolate. Comforting. Not coffee. Coffee was wide awake and fast.

Lovino filled one of their pots with water and set it on the stove to boil. Antonio took a couple of hot chocolate packets from another cupboard and emptied them into the mugs. Antonio held the mugs still when Lovino poured the hot water. They added some milk. The small marshmallows dissolved.

The two of them sat down at the kitchen table, embraced in soft light, across from each other, and drank their hot chocolate. At some point, Antonio lit a vanilla candle, because the small box of matches rattled with the starting rain and Lovino blew out the burning match when Antonio held it out to him.

Antonio had his back to the door, but he could feel the occasional icy breeze kiss his skin and he loved watching Lovino look out into their yard, captivated. His starry-eyed gaze was bright and murky, watching the rain drip in large drops from the porch roof and create puddles on the crooked, wooden boards.

"I love you," Antonio murmured suddenly after a car drove by, the rain hissing with the disturbance.

Lovino looked from the door to Antonio, hand cradling his cheek. He hummed. "I love you too," he said back, voice soft and cool like the last few drops of hot chocolate staining the bottoms of their mugs.

Antonio smiled.

Lovino set his hand down halfway across the table, and Antonio set his on top. Lovino looked back out the window, and Antonio went back to watching him with a fond, half-open gaze.

It rained only for a short while, and they listened to raindrops gather and fall from the roof again, slow and unsteady. The sky was still blue, everything still dark.

Antonio blinked his eyes open when Lovino gasped softly, gently tearing his hand away and looking at the back door, by the floor.

"Pepper decided to join us, it seems." he hummed warmly, looking back to Antonio. Antonio turned away to see the black cat propped up on the screen door, watching the rain and listening to the birds as they began to appear again. Pepper, the cat Antonio remembered bringing home as a lost kitten, surprising Lovino with her after being out in the town.

Antonio smiled, watching her walk away and walk to them with big, orange eyes. She only paused when Antonio pet her between the ears, briefly and gently. She rubbed against his legs, and then Lovino's, before they both looked under the table and watched her jump up onto the other kitchen chair, settling on the chair cushion.

They sat for a while after that. They didn't talk, not much, just listened to the singing birds and the dripping rain and the rumbling cars, and then Lovino yawned:

"Ready to head back up?" Antonio asked after a minute.

Lovino nodded slightly.

Antonio blew out the candle and stood up. He closed the door. He went around to the other side of the table and picked up Lovino, despite his incoherent mumbles of protest. Lovino was chilled from the rain.

They left their mugs and Pepper behind, and Antonio carried Lovino back upstairs to their messy blankets and sleep.


	3. sunlight

**A/N - So... school's started up for me... :')**

 **Hope you enjoy! :D Please review!**

* * *

Antonio sighed before he opened his eyes.

The blankets, soft and off-white, were pooling around Lovino and him, trapping their body heat and making Antonio feel more sleepy than he already was. His feet stuck out though, from all of their tossing and turning in the blankets, and were cold in the chilly morning air that their cheap fan tossed around in waves.

He shifted onto his side, towards Lovino and towards the window. Tucked his feet under the blankets. He blinked against the sunlight, muttering weak complaints as he draped his arm over Lovino, about his waist, and pressed the side of his face against his bare shoulder.

"Mm…?" Antonio hummed curiously, blinking again. He took a moment to focus before he simply stared.

The sheer white curtains let the morning sunlight slip into the room with ease, falling over the bed with a gentle warmth and a blinding glow. Lovino was sleeping to Antonio's right, undisturbed as he faced the rising sun.

He was shirtless, and Antonio tried to think back as to why that would be as he propped himself up enough to see if that was Lovino's crumpled t-shirt gracing the dusty floorboards or not. He could see pieces of the design faded and cracked from its numerous trips through the washer and the dryer, and decided that Lovino had woken up in the middle of the night when the summer heat was at its worst, and tossed it aside. But it was early morning, and Antonio wondered if Lovino was cold now that it had cooled down.

He sighed again and pulled Lovino closer to him under the blankets, smiling sleepily at the little mumble he heard past the mingled heartbeats and the blurring fan and the singing birds.

He closed his eyes, but not even dozing would come to him.

He stared again, past Lovino's slim shoulder to the world outside, before he found himself watching Lovino instead.

…

The sunlight fell over Lovino, giving him a peaceful glow.

His tanned skin was reduced to a warm, pale gold. Antonio could make out the faint dusting of freckles on his shoulders, but the sunlight harshly kissed the freckles on his cheeks and nose. His dark hair was unruly and soft, windblown strands of copper and gold and chocolate. Some hair was made up of frizzy and matted curls. His eyelashes graced his cheeks, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

One hand rested on his pillow, the hand that had a small scar from a cooking accident. It was also the hand Antonio always kissed - he always kissed the scar. His nails were bitten and uneven, a habit Antonio knew Lovino hated having. His fingertips were always covered in colorful paint or ink, the edge of his hand smeared with graphite. Today the paint was a blend of pinks and oranges and blues. Sunset.

Lovino breathed lightly, lips a bit chapped and pink and bent into a small frown.

…

Antonio found Lovino's other hand under the blankets, holding it carefully in his own. He moved their arms to rest about Lovino's waist again. He smiled against Lovino's warm shoulder as he heard another mumble, before littering the area with quick, gentle kisses.

Lovino shifted, making a small noise as he blinked himself awake. He looked back at Antonio blearily. "The hell you doin'?" he mumbled. His voice was rough and sleepy.

Antonio continued with the little kisses, giving Lovino's hand a squeeze. "Loving you." he whispered back, smiling.

Lovino sighed, collapsing back against the bed. He hid his smile against his pillow.


	4. late night

**A/N - I had this idea for a while now and I finally decided to write it :3 Enjoy!**

* * *

Antonio had to keep typing.

Keep typing.

Keep typing.

 _He had to._

… And Emma just posted another video of her cat. Damn his friend for flying out to visit her family. Damn her cute cat. Damn timezones.

Antonio leaned back against his headboard with a groan, the pillows and blankets tempting him to just go to bed.

"If I fall asleep, like, right now, I could get… three hours and thirteen minu-... _twelve_ minutes of sleep. God." he mumbled, moving his hands from his keyboard to his face and rubbing his aching eyes. Besides the flickering frames of some crime show he'd put on his muted TV, the only light was that of his laptop's in his otherwise dark room.

"But… I have to finish this." Antonio whispered. He sat wearily for a few minutes, hands pausing on the keyboard. His chest suddenly ached, and his throat burned, before his vision blurred with tears.

He bit back a hiccup, wiping at his eyes before setting the laptop aside to snatch his phone from the nightstand by his bed. Instantly, he pulled up his and Lovino's messages, the last ones having been hours before when they'd told each other "Good night." His thumbs hovered over the small keys too, hesitating, before he closed it and instead he held the phone to his ear.

Surely his parents couldn't hear the loud ringing on the other end? No, it was just loud and agonizing to Antonio.

Lovino didn't answer and he insisted again, staring tiredly at the third to last page of his damned research paper.

Suddenly the ringing stopped and Antonio was rewarded with Lovino's groggy, little voice. "... Toni? Why are you awake? It's almost four in the morning."

"... Could you come over?" His voice was stuffy when he spoke, quiet. He found a new interest in a loose thread on his blanket than the laptop screen.

Lovino sighed. It wasn't a sigh like he was frustrated or annoyed, but it was feathery and light, the soft sigh Antonio always heard when Lovino was becoming more awake after, well, waking up.

Antonio clenched a fistful of the blanket in his free hand, waiting.

"... I'll be over in a few minutes, okay?"

"Okay."

Antonio was forced to return to his laptop after that. Despite the weariness hanging over him like a rain cloud, like a warm winter sweater, he was comforted by the mere thought of Lovino coming over.

* * *

Antonio was too busy typing away on the research paper that he didn't hear the gravel in the driveway shifting under Lovino's car tires, or Lovino quietly opening his bedroom door. Finally he looked up as the hallway night-light disappeared from the doorway.

Lovino's hair was still disheveled from sleeping, his eyes bright in the TV light. He wore a mustard-yellow sweatshirt Antonio had gotten him at a thrift store once and black shorts. The dark letters named some city Antonio didn't know, fading from too many fond washes on Lovino's part. His ratty, snow-stained slippers swished lightly across the wooden floor until Lovino stood at Antonio's bed. He nudged them off and settled on the bed beside Antonio.

"You need to go to bed." he murmured softly, voice raised just above the quick typing.

Antonio faltered. "But I need to finish my paper." he whispered.

"Honey, no you don't."

Antonio forced himself to ignore the warm feeling that erupted in his chest at the endearment, continuing: "But it's due tomorrow."

"You mean three hours from now." Lovino corrected.

"But my-!"

Lovino pushed the laptop from Antonio's lap to the other side of the bed, seating himself on Antonio's lap instead. Antonio twisted to get his laptop, but Lovino pushed him back against the headboard with a firm hand to his shoulder. " _Antonio_."

Antonio glowered childishly, staring back at Lovino as the other studied him. His dark eyes looked like burnt marshmallows.

Lovino's expression softened after a minute, concerned. He moved his hands to cup Antonio's face. "My love, do you even see yourself?" he whispered. "You look terrible."

Antonio pouted still, before he leaned in slightly. Lovino allowed one kiss, two, and three, before he pulled away with a gasp, a soft, protesting "No!" quick to follow. Again, he pushed Antonio away, and made certain to close the laptop.

"Lovi, _please_." Antonio said.

Lovino picked up the notebook on the bed, flipping through it with mock-interest, before gently tossing it to the floor. The laptop followed, placed carefully under the bed on Lovino's side. Antonio favored the side closest to the door, and Lovino the other when he would sleep over.

"No buts, no kisses, no Lovi, please. You and I both know _why_ you called me over here." Lovino shot back, fixing the blankets so he could slip under them. Antonio looked down at him, wrapped up in his blankets beside him. Lovino frowned slightly. "Stop fighting it. Could you go to sleep, please? For me?" he continued quietly.

 _For me?_

Antonio settled down stiffly, falling asleep to the sound of the TV's volume being turned from muted to low, gunshots and shouting fading into quick, culinary chopping.

* * *

Antonio woke up with the sun shining in his face and coffee making his nose scrunch up. He grumbled and pulled the blankets close around him, peeking at the clock on the nightstand. It obviously wasn't four in the morning. It wasn't seven either. It was _noon_.

There was a sigh, soft and feathery.

He twisted in the blankets, huddling in the as he settled to face Lovino.

Lovino was propped up in bed, Antonio's laptop in his lap and a dreary-blue mug of dark coffee in his hands he was sipping from. There was a plate on the nightstand, some crumbs, a puddle of sweet syrup with an abandoned fork beside a couple strawberry strands.

" _God_ , Toni, I love your parents."

Antonio couldn't help but grin. Good coffee. Good pancakes.

"They love you too, I know." he murmured. He ran a hand through his unruly hair. "... Why'd you let me miss?"

"You needed sleep. Besides," Lovino said, looking over at Antonio. "I took care of it for now."


End file.
